National News

19 Elite Firefighters Dead in Arizona

(NEWSER) – Tragedy in central Arizona, where 19 elite firefighters are dead after getting trapped by a fast-moving wildfire in the town of Yarnell. Eighteen of the men were part of the Granite Mountain Hotshots crew from Prescott, reports the Arizona Republic. An additional crew member wasn't with his team and survived; the deaths wiped out 20% of the town's firefighting-force. "It's a dark day," Arizona State Forestry spokesman Mike Reichling told theRepublic. The previous deadliest wildland fire struck in 1933, in the form of a Los Angeles fire that killed 25; yesterday's deaths marked the deadliest day for firefighters since 9/11, adds CNN.